The Man In My Dreams
by Mist Emoun Tains
Summary: Hermione and Ron are constantly fighting, causing Hermione to question their somewhat new relationship. But what happens when Hermione becomes obsessed with dating a man in her dreams? Who is this man, if he does exist at all, and what will Ron do to try
1. The Constant Pain

Hey! This is the prologue for the story, so it's a bit short.  
  
They had been fighting again. About what? The usual nothing: homework, Quidditch, anything and everything really. Their fights were becoming more frequent and more nitpicky.  
  
They would start like this. Hermione would say something or try to help Ron, and then he would take it the wrong way or call her a know-it- all. Then, of course, she would respond to his remarks and it would carry on from there. The arguments frustrated her, but it was the way he treated her afterwards that tore at her heart.  
  
He would not address her. His responses, if any, were simple one or two word answers. But, most the time he would not speak to her, glancing at her every once in a while, an angry look upon his face.  
  
After their arguments, they would usually still sit together through the silence, but this time Hermione had stormed out of the library instead of trying to endure the tense and awkward silence.  
  
She took a seat on the couch in the common room and opened her book to finish her studying. She searched herself for the concentration she needed.  
  
But there was no concentration to be found.  
  
Their last fight, the one that had taken place mere minutes ago, had frustrated her to the point of exhaustion. Now, Ron wasn't all bad, in fact he could be extremely sweet, but he seemed a bit troubled lately. During the summer their relationship had been perfect. But as the school year wore on, she had come to question Ron's feelings for her. Did he love you?  
  
Hermione wasn't sure why had hadn't broken it off between them. Maybe he just enjoyed the happy moments between them. He was probably wondering why she hadn't broken it off. But that answer to that is simple, she loved him.  
  
As she repeated the third line of the chapter for the second time, her eyes began to feel heavy. She began to feel tired and she could do nothing but fall asleep.  
  
So there it is! Ron isn't as bad as he sounds. I hope you enjoyed it! It is rather short, isn't it? I promise they will get longer, and the story will get MUCH, MUCH more interesting. This chapter was sort of a prologue. Please check out my story I Can't Lose You, Not Like This, or for a happier story, there is Part Of Me Left With You. Please review and tell me what you think! Thanks for reading! 


	2. Have we met before?

Hey! Sorry this has taken so long! This story is going to be so much fun to write! Oh I can't wait! Here it goes!  
  
Hermione walked into the Great Hall. It was early in the morning, so naturally breakfast was being served. "Good morning." She said as she took a seat across from Ron and Harry.  
  
"Good morning." Replied Harry. Hermione sat, anxiously waiting to see if Ron would reply.  
  
"'Morning." Replied Ron in an irritated and forced tone. He was still mad at her. Hermione looked at him. "What?" Ron glared at her angrily.  
  
Harry rolled his eyes. So much for his idea of peace after they admitted their feelings. If anything, their fights were worse! "Do you two have to fight everyday?"  
  
Ron immediately threw the blame Hermione's direction. "Ask her, she's the one who started it!"  
  
"I'm the one who started it? If you weren't such a selfish git maybe you'd realize you were the who—"  
  
"—I did not!"  
  
"Do you even remember what we're fighting about?" asked Hermione. Ron didn't answer.  
  
"That's it! Let me know when you two are done." Said Harry standing up and walking out of the Great Hall.  
  
Hermione began to silently pick at her food. "Well?" said Ron.  
  
Hermione looked up to see an impatient Ron staring at her. "Well what?"  
  
"Well are you going to leave, or do I have to?" he said coldly. Hermione was outraged! What the hell was his problem?  
  
Hermione stood up. "Gosh Ron! You are such a heartless—stupid—oh why am I even dating you?"  
  
Hermione stormed out of the Great Hall while Ron merely went back to his food, seemingly untouched by Hermione's words as she raced back to her dormitory.  
  
"Gosh he's an idiot!" thought Hermione. "I hate him! I hate him! I HATE HIM!"  
  
"Canary Puff!" said Hermione as she approached the picture of the Fat Lady.  
  
"Is something wrong dear?" asked the Fat Lady out of concern for the girl.  
  
"CANARY PUFF!" she shouted at the old painting.  
  
"Alright! Alright! Just trying to help." The picture swung to the side allowing Hermione inside. She barely held her tears as she raced up to her dormitory, slamming the door behind her.  
  
Hermione threw herself on her bed and immediately began to sob. "Why? Why does he have to be so mean to me? He's such—a stupid—git!" said Hermione, punching her pillow with each word. "I hate him! I hate him!!" Teardrops fell on to her pillow. He was heartless to treat he like that. He had never been that mean before they were dating. Oh she never should have agreed to be his girlfriend! That's when it had all started! Oh she was miserable. What had happened to the old Ron?  
  
Hermione closed her eyes...  
  
She was in a castle, a castle tower in fact, crying and looking longingly out the window to a land far away. Was there a building, or even another castle out there? Or was it just a mirage? Whatever it was, she had the strongest desire she had ever felt in her life to go there, to be there.  
  
"Hello." Came a soft voice behind her. She turned around. A young man who seemed to be her age stood at her door. "The Ball is about to begin."  
  
"The Ball?"  
  
"Yes," said the young man with soft brown hair. "Are you ready?"  
  
Hermione looked down at her cloths. She was dressed in a beautiful deep purple gown; her shoes were golden. "Yes, I suppose." She replied in a bit of a daze.  
  
"Well, let us leave. We wouldn't want to be late." The boy held out his hand. Hermione casually took it and the two began to descend the large spiral staircase.  
  
After what seemed like hours, they reached the bottom of the staircase and stepped into a beautiful grand ballroom. Hermione looked about in awe. Great chandeliers hung from the ceiling; large extravagant white columns were placed about, creating a large inner circle for dancing. The room seemed to be miles wide, but Hermione could still see every inch of it. In the far left corner a group of musicians sat. They looked over at her and at once began a beautiful melody.  
  
The boy appeared to the right in front of her. He, along with she and everyone else in the room, were now wearing masks. "Would you care to dance?" he asked politely, once again holding out his hand. She nodded slightly and took his hand. The boy led her out onto the dance floor.  
  
The dancing was not as it was at the Yule Ball. It was like that of the play Romeo and Juliet, hand to hand. In fact, now that she thought of it, the whole place reminded her of that play, the masks, the mysterious boy, everything, but she was too entranced to care.  
  
They placed the palms of their right hands together and went around each other in a circle. "Who are you?" asked Hermione.  
  
"We have met but only just."  
  
"How have we met if I do not recognize you?" asked Hermione as they  
switched hands and direction. "Have we met casually? Formally? How do I  
know you?"  
  
"You know me, but not as you should."  
  
"Then how should I know you?"  
  
"Let the night live on and one shall see."  
  
They continued to dance, the song never seeming to end. They went around in circles countless times; the whole while Hermione was stealing soft glances at the handsome boy who would smile sweetly at her each time.  
  
The song seemed to end, though the musicians played on. Everyone around the two began to clap, but Hermione wasn't exactly sure why. Through the applause she could scarcely hear the boy speak, "Would you like to go outside?" Hermione nodded and they began to make their way through the very large crowd.  
  
The fellow guests at the ball continued clapping the whole way out of the ballroom. It was not until they reached the balcony that they heard the crowd stop, and the music begin once more.  
  
The balcony was white with green vegetation grown about it. There were two doors from which you could enter the balcony and in between the two doors was a large beautiful fountain in the shape of a large pot; the fountain was the same color as the balcony.  
  
They proceeded to the rail and began to gaze at the stars. The moon was extremely bright that night, and quite a size bigger than usual. They were silent for a moment; the only sound heard was the music in the ballroom. "The stars are beautiful tonight." Said the boy. Hermione had been so use to the silence that she was at first startled.  
  
How was it this boy was complimenting her so, while he still kept his name a secret? "How should I know you?" she asked.  
  
The boy looked over at her. "What do you mean?"  
  
"Earlier you said if I let the night live on I should see how you believe I should know you. I have let it live, and still I do not know the answer to my question."  
  
The boy turned to face her. "Would you really like to know?" Hermione nodded. He paused, not saying a word, but looking her in the eyes. "This is how." He said, picking up her hands, leaning in, and kissing her.  
  
Hermione looked at him with an expression near shock. He had kissed her. Then suddenly the loud ringing of a clock echoed throughout the land, thought where the clock was, she did not know. The boy looked to Hermione's left, and then back at her. "I must go." He said letting go of her hands and taking a step towards the door on the right of the fountain.  
  
"Wait!" said Hermione.  
  
"Farewell!" he called, reaching out to her with his right arm. "We will meet again, I can promise you that." A fog appeared out of nowhere and overtook the boy.  
  
The fog cleared at the last chime of the clock and he disappeared. "Hello?" she said. No one answered. The music was not even playing inside the ballroom. She walked back inside to see if the boy had gone in there, but he hadn't. In fact the whole ballroom was empty now. Not a soul remained; the only trace of one where the instruments that had been left behind.  
  
It doesn't have to make sense; it's a dream! I so desperately wanted to end it with Hermione picking up a violin and playing it alone in the ballroom, but that would have been really random, and not too mention quite odd. I definitely think that was longer than before. (I'm working on making my chapters longer.) Anyway, more to come if you enjoyed this! The end will be awesome! Thanks for reading! 


	3. Perhaps Another Time

**Hey! I've been insanely busy with homework, and projects, and yada yoo, so my updates probably won't be regular. I'm putting off my homework so I can update once, and I chose this story. I really hope you like it!**

**She was looking at the ceiling, sweating in her bed. She struggled to slow her breathing, trying to remember what had caused her to be this way. The dream. But it wasn't just the dream; it was the boy in her dream. She touched her lips. It was the way he had...**

**She had cheated on Ron!** **Oh my gosh! She had—had a dream... Oh not that it would have mattered anyway. Ron would probably break up with her any day now. He didn't care for her. She once again found herself wishing they had only remained friends. Speaking of Ron, it was time for her to get up. She was only a minute ahead of her alarm, which was set for earlier than usual. She wanted to get out of The Gryffindor Tower as early as she could. She switched off her alarm, pushed back her covers, and stood up. "Stupid Git."**

**As she got ready for the day she couldn't help but to think back to the boy. If it had only been a dream, why had his kiss seemed so real?**

**She had been in the library for the past hour, in the furthest section from where Ron, Harry, and she usually sat. Hopefully Ron wouldn't come looking for her. Oh what was she thinking? Ron wouldn't come apologize to her!**

**She glanced at her watch. In her time in the library she had been trying to figure out the best way to avoid Ron for the whole day, if not, for forever. She could either get to her class early, seeing how Ron was almost always late. (On the rare occasion when he wasn't, he barely made it on time.) Or, she could get there late on the off chance he had gone to class early to try to talk to her. She chose the first one. The second option was highly unlikely.**

**She made her way down to herbology, fifteen minutes before class was scheduled to begin, not expecting (or even hoping) to see Ron. **

**But guys can be unpredictable.**

**There, much to her surprise, stood Ron Weasley, about twenty feet from the herbology class. She kept her vision forward, refusing to look at Ron. A wave of sadness washed over her.**

**"Hey, 'Mione!" called Ron, waving to her.**

**"Ron." She said, not even sparing him a glance.**

**"Hermione, wait!" he said running up to her.**

**She kept walking.**

**"Hermione, please wait! I need to talk to you." Oh no this was it! He really was going to break up with her, and he was happy about it! **

**"What could you possibly need to talk to me about?" Said Hermione still walking and Ron trotting along beside her.**

**"Herm—"**

"**We can't even eat at the same table, but you want to talk. I guess it's all what you want, then." Great. Just great! She had let him know he had hurt her. She had just told him that she was weak.**

"**Hermione, please! Just listen to me." Ron grabbed her hand, causing her to turn towards him. She was a bit taken aback. She could now see the pained look he held in his eyes and she looked into them. Hermione didn't say anything, but instead nodded, cueing Ron to continue. **

"**I'm sorry I was such a jerk yesterday." Hermione sort of rolled her eyes, and turned to leave, but her right hand was still being held in the most sincere way by both of Ron's, and that made her stay. She missed this. Ron continued, even as she turned. "I know we get at each other's throats a lot, and this time I just got over my head. I'm sorry; you know I don't want to hurt me. And if you could just give me another chance, I promise I'll be a better boyfriend."**

**What was going on? That couldn't be Ron speaking; it didn't sound like him. He was too... it was just sort of different. Should she give him another chance? As she looked him in the eyes, she knew she would. She could never say no.**

**When she told him so, without the last part being said, Ron pulled her in a tight hug. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, trying desperately to hold back her tears, not caring if Prof. Sprout could see them. "I'm sorry." He whispered softly into her ear. He loosened his hold on her so he could see her beautiful brown eyes. "I hate seeing you hurt. I don't want to argue anymore."**

"**I—I don't either." She responded, awestruck. Ron was certainly acting... well, unpredictably.**

"**Aw Weasel and Granger! Wouldn't want to interrupt this _wonderful_ little moment." The snotty voice of Draco Malfoy poisoned the air.**

**Hermione let go of Ron; he kept his hand around her wrist.**

"**Making up after another one of your rows, are you?" He turned to his sidekick stooges. "The way they fight, you'd think they're an old married couple." Then he turned back and looked at Hermione menacingly. "But then again, who'd want to marry a mudblood?"**

"**Shut up Malfoy or I'll—"**

**Just then Mrs. Sprout stepped out of her classroom, and called for all the students to come in.**

"**Pity I can't stay around and see what you would do to defend your girlfriend." Said Malfoy walked up to Ron. "Perhaps, another time." He said in a sinister way. **

**Malfoy pushed Ron aside and away from Hermione, and then walked into class. Ron tried to lunge onto Malfoy, but Hermione held him back. "Just ignore him. Someday he'll get what he deserves." She said.**

"**Well it better be soon." Said Ron rubbing his arm as he watched Malfoy walk through the door. He stopped once Hermione took notice. He didn't want her to think he was scrawny. Not if he was going to be the better boyfriend he had promised to become. "C'mon. Let's go to class." He said taking her hand and leading her inside. **

**As Hermione took a seat she couldn't help but to think of the turn around in Ron. Just yesterday he had refused to sit at the same table with her, and now he was grabbing her hand, and acting the way he used to. Well, sort of the way he used to. He was much more open with her but hey, she had no complaints. **


End file.
